Análise comparativa de dois métodos de estimativa de idade em adultos jovens de 16 a 25 anos

Abstract

Age estimation for humans plays an important role in situations such as mass disasters and unaccompanied or asylum-seeking minors in the absence of proper documents. Likewise, it would be possible to determine whether an individual is of criminally responsible age or whether there are penalties applicable in civil or criminal cases. The present work aims to compare two methods of age estimation, in adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 25 years, of both sexes, in a population in northeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate age using the Olze and Atlas London Methods, in panoramic radiographic images of Brazilian individuals aged between 16 and 25 years of both sexes, from the collection of digital panoramic radiographs of the Department of Dentistry, from the Federal University of Sergipe. The images were submitted to age estimation processes according to the Atlas London and Olze methodologies. The data were submitted to statistical analysis in order to verify the effectiveness in discriminating between adults and minors, considering each method separately and together. In the sample, for both methods there was an underestimation of the chronological age by about 1 year, when used alone. However, using the two methods together, an overestimation of approximately 0.15 years was observed. It was concluded that the dental age estimated by the methods of Olze and Atlas of London in a sample of Brazilian adolescents and young adults showed moderate agreement with the chronological age, and these methods can be used in cases of criminal liability in living individuals. Furthermore, the agreement between estimated and chronological age increased when the two associated methods were used.